Cloth cutting machine



April 20, 1937. N. ROSS 2,077,900

CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 60 INVENTOR: NATHAN R053 2 9%; QM

/6 v ATTORNEY.

A n il 20, 1937. N. ROSS 2,077,900

CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I: q INVENTOR:

NATHANv ROSS, Ma

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in cloth cutting, machines of the reciprocating blade type. The principal object of my invention is to pro-- vide a cloth cutting machine of the type set forth of simple and practicable construction arranged,

for higher speeds than hitherto and designed in all of its parts to more perfectly perform the operations requisite for cutting multiple thicknesses of cloth to the pattern desired.

A further object of the invention is the provision of apparatus in a cloth cutting machine for converting the rotary motion of a high-speed motor to actuate a cutting-blade into; reciprocal move-' ment. whereby the connecting parts such as the crank elements are arranged in substantially complete balance and the cross-head: devices in which the blade is mounted may beformed of extremely light material to reduce the vibration at high speeds to the lowest point obtainable.

Another object of my invention is to still further reduce the vibration consequent tothe operation of the machine at high speeds by mounting the same on roller wheels that are. borne in a novel manner in. resilient cushion-blocks] which 25 absorb the greater part of the vibration. necessarily resulting in the reciprocationof the cuttingblade and insulating the supporting table therefrom as well as markedly reducing the noise ordinarily developed in. the operation of such ma- 30 chines on a support of that sort.

A still further object of my invention is to provide. a novel guard and presser-shoe for the blade and, cloth being out, together with practicable and convenient clamping and releasing means 35 therefor within the ready grasp of the opera-tor guiding the machine which makes for'more' complete control of the'cutting operations and: in the manipulation of the machine.

Other objects and advantages residing in my 40 invention, and objects relating, to details of'construction and various arrangements and adaptai tions of parts thereof, will be fully apparent in the course of the detailed description to follow. The accompanying drawings illustrate byway 45 of example a representative form of my invention;

inwhich:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section of anembodiment of my invention.

Fig; 215 a partial view in front elevation of the same with certain portions removed. V Fig. 3 is a view in cross-section on line 3 -'-3-- of Fig. 1'.

Fig. 41 is a, view in cross-section on line 4-4- of 55 Fig. 1. o v

Fig. 5 is an underside plan view of the roller assembly, partially broken away.

Referring to said views, the. reference numeral 5 indicates the base-plate of my improved cloth cutting machine mounted upon rollers 6 to aid in the movement of the machine upon a table, not shown, on which the cloth to be cut is laid. An apron l is resiliently secured to the forward end of the base by flat-springs 8 and is designed to! plow under the cloth and lift the same upon the base. Said base is formed with a depression In on its upper side in which the foot ll of the standard I2 is rigidly secured. At its upper end said standard extends rearwardly at l3 to which is rigidly secured by bolt l5 the main frame comprised of the vertical walls l6, l1 and l B. The walls l6 and I1 form a rigid support for the motorhousing and walls I! and I8 include therebetween a cylindrical bore in which the cross-head movement is contained and the crank-case 2| thereabove. The crank-case is surmounted by a horizontal wall 22 integral with the main frame and the forward bell portion 23 of the motorhousing extends rearwardly therefrom. A medial section 25 rigidly connects rear bell portion 26 to the forward portion 23 of the housing, which portions are further connected by a handle 21.

The electric motor 28 through which the machinev is actuated is arranged with its horizontal armature shaft 30 mounted in anti-friction bearings 3 I and 32. and said shaft is extended through the housing portion 26 where it is provided with a knurled thumb-wheel 33 to manually turn said shaft. The housing portions 23 and 26 are each formed with slotted openings 35 in their lower sections for the intake and egress of air to ventilate and cool the motor, and to induce the circulation of air a fan-Wheel 36 is mounted on the shaft 30 whose blades 31 are directed to draw the cooling air through the rearmost slots 35 and exhaust it through the slots in the forward housing portion 23 thus as much as possible avoiding the entrance of dust and lint set free by the action of theclothcutting operations from being carried through the housing to the possible injury to the motor. A wire gauze screen, not shown, of relatively fine mesh may be employed to screen said slots to further exclude the entrance of injurious matter.

The crank-case 2| is closed at its front side by said crank-pin is of circular configuration having the oppositely extending bearing-studs 4| at the centers thereof as the axis of rotation. The sides of the cheek-plates adjacent the crank-pin are cut away symmetrically, as at 42, to compensate for the weight of the crank-pin and connecting-rod 43 to provide as perfectly balanced crankmovement as is practicable.

A bearing-ring 45 is mounted upon the crankpin 40 about which the connecting-rod 43 is strapped. The opposite end of said rod is connected to a wrist-pin 46 seated transversely within a cross-head 41 of cylindrical configura tion slidable within a liner-sleeve 48fixed within,

the bore 26. Said sleeve is of hardened steel while the cross-head is of the lightest suitable material, such as aluminum or some of its a1- loys, in order that the high speeds at which the cross-head is reciprocated will not cause undue vibration.

The cutting-blade 50 is connected by screws 5| with an integral pad 52 whose face is in the vertical axis of the cross-head. The lower end of said blade extends through a slot 53 in the foot ll of said standard and has an advance cutting edge 55. A guide-strip 56 is secured by rivets 51 in the standard and is channeled to receive and support the blade in its reciprocal motion. The upper end of the standard is formed with an angular projection 58 received in a correspondingly formed slot 6|] in the wall I! and is drawn and rigidly secured therein through a screw-bolt 6| extending through a flange 62 of the framewall l6 and entering the rearward extension I3. Such construction and means for securing the frame upon the standard ensures a rigid and efficient connection between said elements and aids materially in reducing vibration and in effecting a true alignment of the operative portions of the machine.

63 indicates a guide-bar of square cross-section disposed in line with the cutting edge of the blade and provided at its upper end with a finger-engageable element 65 with which it may be lifted. At its lower end said bar has secured thereto a shoe 66 having a flat bottom surface that may rest evenly upon the cloth and extending rearwardly in an open ring 6'! withinwhose opening 68 the cutting-blade 50 is operable. The front end of said shoe is turned upwardly, as at 10, to guide and smooth the cloth over which the shoe passes in the cutting operations;

The guide-bar 63 is received and adjustably secured in a vertical groove 1| formed in a supporting-member 12 secured to the wall l8 of the frame. A clamping-plate 13 is resiliently secured to said member by springs 15 mounted upon studs 76 and normally engages the guardbar at its lower end to frictionally secure the same in adjusted position. A release lever 11 for said clamping-plate is pivotally mounted at '18 and extends rearwardly between guides 19 in a handle 86 in proximity to the machine handle 8| where the same hand of the operator which manipulates the machine may grasp the lever handle 88. The forward end 82 of said releaselever extends into a slot formed or provided in the clamping-plate so that when the handle thereof is pressed inwardly the plate will be lifted in opposition to the springs 15 to release the guard-bar.

The rollers 6 spaced apart at the four corners of the base are mounted to rotate in dollies 83 formed with horizontally extending flanges 85 which are resiliently supported in rubber or other suitable cushion-blocks 86 which in turn are fixedly connected to the under side of the base by casings 81. A mobile construction is thus afforded eminently desirable in the ease with which the machine may be trundled upon a table and which will absorb the greater portion of the vibration developed and the noise caused by the operation of the machine.

Facility is provided in the chamber 88 between the walls I6 and I! for the reception of the necessary wiring to and from the motor and which may include a switch 90 mounted on the side of the chamber. Upon the opposite side of said chamber a terminal block 91 is mounted for supporting the terminal-prongs, as 92, to which the electric wire circuit is connected by a flexible cable, not shown, and from which connecting Wires 93 and 94 lead the current to and from the motor, respectively.

It is believed that the foregoing description will sufficiently explain the plan of construction of my improved cloth cutting machine as well as the mode of operation of the same. While I have described these improvements and advantages with considerable detail I do not intend to confine the invention or the protection sought to the precise construction shown but deem that such protection shall extend to the full limits and scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim, is:

1. A cloth cutting machine, consisting of a base, rollers upon which said base is mounted, a standard fixedly secured to said base, a frame including a motor-housing rigidly mounted on said standard, a motor in said housing, said frame including a cylindrical bore and a crankcase in superposed relation, crank apparatus in said crank-case operatively connected to the armature of said motor, said crank apparatus comprising a pair of crank-cheeks spaced apart and connected by a crank-pin, the portions of said crank-cheeks opposite said crank-pin being counterweighted to substantially compensate for the gravity of said crank-pin and a connecting-rod, said rod connected to said crank-pin, a cylindrical cross-head operatively connected to said connecting-rod slidable insaid bore, and a cutting-blade connected to be reciprocated in said standard through the movements of said cross-head.

2. A cloth cutting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the cross-head is formed with a transverse pad in the vertical axis thereof, to which pad said cutting-blade is connected.

3. A cloth cutting machine, consisting of the structure set forth in claim 1, and wherein the main frame is secured to the upper end of the standard through a rearward projection of the standard extending Within a slot in the frame and is drawn and secured therein by a drawscrew.

4. In a cloth cutting machine, a vertical standard having a frame-supporting extension at its upper end and an angular rearwardly extending projection 'at its forward portion, said frame mounted on said extension and having a slot to receive said projection, and means to draw and rigidly secure said projection within said slot to form a rigid joint between said frame and said standard.

5. In a cloth cutting machine, a vertical standard having a frame-supporting extension at its upper end and an angular rearwardly extending projection at its forward portion, a frame mounted on said extension having a correspondingly angular slot to receive said projection, and means to rigidly secure the frame upon said extension including a screw-bolt to draw said projection into said slot.

6. In a cloth cutting machine, a vertical standard having a frame-supporting extension at its upper end and an angular rearwardly extending projection at its forward portion, said frame mounted on said extension having a correspondingly angular slot to receive said projection, said frame being flanged downwardly over the rear end of said extension, a bolt rigidly securing the frame upon said extension, and a screw-bolt extending through said flange into said extension to draw said projection into said slot.

7. In a cloth cutting machine, reciprocating apparatus for the cutting-blade comprising a motor, a crank-shaft operatively connected with the armature of said motor, said crank-shaft including a pair of twin crank-cheeks spaced apart and connected by a crank-pin, the portions of said crank-cheeks opposite said crank-pin being of circular configuration concentric with the axis of rotation of the crank-shaft and arranged to counterbalance said crank-pin and a connecting-rod, said connecting-rod, a tubular sleeve, a cross-head of cylindrical configuration operative in said sleeve and connected to said connectingrod, and a cutting-blade connected to said crosshead.

8. In a cloth cutting machine, reciprocating apparatus for the cutting-blade comprising a motor, a crank-shaft operatively connected with the armature of said motor, said crank-shaft including a pair of twin crank-cheeks spaced apart and connected by a crank-pin, the portions of said crank-cheeks opposite said crank-pin being of circular configuration concentric with the axis of rotation of the crank-shaft and arranged to counterbalance said crank-pin and a connectingrod, said connecting-rod, a tubular sleeve, a cross-head of cylindrical configuration operative in said sleeve and connected to said connectingrod, said cross-head being formed of material containing a relatively large proportion of aluminum, and a cutting-blade connected to said cross-head.

9. In a cloth cutting machine, a reciprocating apparatus for the cutting-blade comprising a motor, a crank-shaft operatively connected with the armature of said motor, said crank-shaft including a pair of twin crank-cheeks spaced apart and connected by a crank-pin, the portions of said crank-cheeks opposite said crankpin being of circular configuration concentric with the axis of rotation of the crank-shaft and arranged to counterbalance said crank-pin and a connecting-rod, said connecting-rod, a tubular sleeve, a cross-head of cylindrical configuration operative in said sleeve and connected to said connecting-rod, said cross-head having an integral pad in the vertical axis thereof, and a cutting-blade connected to said pad to reciprocate with said cross-head.

10. In a cloth cutting machine, a guard-bar for a cutting-blade extending in parallel forwardly of said blade and provided with a shoe at its lower end extending about said blade in a slotted ring, a clamp for said guard-bar comprising a vertically grooved supporting-member in which said guard-bar is slidable, a clampingplate resiliently mounted in said member and frictionally engageable with said guard-bar, and a pivotally mounted lever arranged to actuate said plate to release the guard-bar.

11. In a cloth cutting machine, a frame, a handle on said frame to guide the machine, a vertically grooved supporting-member on the side of said frame opposite to said handle, a guard-bar slidably received in the said groove, a resiliently mounted clamping-plate overlying said guard-bar and frictionally engagable therewith, and a pivotally mounted lever arranged to actuate said plate to release the guard-bar and extending rearwardly in juxtaposition with said handle to enable the operator to engage both the handle and the lever with a single hand.

12. In a cloth cutting machine, roller apparatus comprising a casing having a medial opening, a pair of rubber cushions mounted in said casing on opposite sides of said opening, a rollerdolly having oppositely arranged flanges supporting said dolly in said cushions, respectively, and a roller rotatively mounted in each said dolly.

NATHAN ROSS. 

